SOIL SUSTAINABILITY LAB

Principal Investigator: Arnab Bhowmik, PhD

                       

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. Bhowmik is an assistant professor in soil science in the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Design, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, North Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro North Carolina. His research adds to “understanding of soil, plant, and microbial interactions, and of nutrient cycling in terrestrial ecosystems” research areas that meet grand challenges in our Nation’s food security and environmental sustainability.

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                                       Research Specialist: Mr. John Ivey

                                             

 

 

 

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Mr. Ivey is an alumnus of NC A&T, a farmer and a former agriculture Extension agent in Guilford County, he’s proud to bring his passion for research and helping farmers back to the university. He says "I have been taught, and truly believe, that if you feed the soil then the soil will feed us. Regenerative agriculture holds the promise of leaving this beautiful Earth better than we found it.              

Focus: Production systems, industrial hemp, cover crops, nutrient management

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                               Postdoctoral Scholar: Idowu Atoloye, PhD

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Dr. Atoloye is a Postdoctoral Scholar in the Soil Sustainability Laboratory at the North Carolina A&T State University. Before joining the lab, he completed his Ph.D. as a Presidential Doctoral Research Fellow from Utah State University in 2020, where he worked on soil health, phosphorus, and carbon dynamics in certified organically managed dryland wheat systems. He is interested in understanding how the interaction of different sources of nutrients (compost, cover crops, etc.) in organically managed systems mediate known long-term beneficial effects on soil health, carbon dynamics, and GHG emissions.

Focus: soil enzymes, nutrient cycling, carbon dynamics, soil microbial activity, compost, cover crops.

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Postdoctoral Research Associate: Dipti Rai, PhD

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Dr. Rai is a postdoctoral research associate at Soil Sustainability lab at the North Carolina A&T State University. She is a microbial ecologist and completed her PhD in Soil and Water Sciences from University of Florida in 2020 and worked on the effects of prescribed burning on soil biogeochemical properties and microbial communities in sub-tropical native rangelands. Her research interest includes understanding the role of soil microbial communities on biogeochemical processes and adoption of suitable land management practices for ecological sustainability.

Focus: microbial community analysis, greenhouse gas emissions, Bioinformatics, PCR 

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Research Technician: Mr. Matthew Todd

                                             

                                             

  

 

 

 

 

Mr. Todd's expertise is in bio-processing including simulation and control of thermo-chemical processing of biological materials (agricultural, manufacturing, and municipal wastes). 

Focus: Chemical analysis for CBD and THC determination and CBD oil extraction techniques.

 

                                Graduate student:Ifeoluwa Adesina (Stella)

                                            

                                   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stella is a MS student working on biological soil health management for hemp. She completed her undergraduate degree in soil science and land resources management from Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria in 2015. Thereafter, she worked on soil analysis and data management with the Ministry of Agriculture. 

Focus: hemp biochar, hemp nutrient requirements, biological soil health management                                                                                                          

                                            Graduate student: Janeva Williams

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Janeva is a MS student working on soil greenhouse gas emissions from cover cropping and manured agricultural systems. She worked as a 2019 summer graduate intern with the Soil Health Institute, Morrisville, NC which has instigated her interest to continue graduate school in the areas of soil health and ecosystem services.

Focus: Nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide gas emissions, microbial nutrient cycling, biological soil health indicators  

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Undergraduate students:

 

Amira Slocum:

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                                                Amira is a junior in the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental                                                      Design and an undergraduate researcher scholar funded by the Office of Ag.                                                        Research Undergraduate Research Scholar Program (URSP). As a kid, she used                                                  to spend time in the backyard playing in the soil to find worms & other bugs                                                        that she would look up and read about. 

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Ke'Shan Lighty:

                                               Ke'Shan is a junior in biological engineering. He is very enthusiastic to work                                                       with best soil conditions for growing hemp and CBD extraction.

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Veronda Blue:            Veronda is a USDA CAES 1890 Scholar interested to work on soil health and                                                        sustainable production systems